Patna: Bihar would continue to face shortfall of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers as about a dozen of them in key positions, including director-general of police (DGP) Pramod Kumar Thakur, are scheduled to retire soon.

While Thakur, a 1980-batch IPS officer, will retire on February 28, 2018, another DG-rank officer P.N. Rai (1982 batch) is due to superannuate on January 31, 2018.

Rai is at present posted as DG-cum-commandant-general of state home guard and fire services.

DG rank officers Krishna Choudhary (1979 batch) and A.R.K. Kinni (1981 batch) retired in June and November respectively. Both were serving with the central police organisations when they retired, a senior IPS officer said.

The officer added that DG-rank officer Ravindra Kumar (1984 batch) will retire from service in October 2018. Three IG-rank officers Manju Jha, Satish Kumar and Upendra Kumar Sinha, (all 1999 batch), will retire soon.

While Manju, at present posted as IG, weaker section, in the criminal investigation department (CID), is retiring on December 31 this year, Satish and Upendra, posted with the state human rights commission and vigilance investigation bureau, respectively, will retire on February 28, 2018, and April 30, 2018, respectively.

Gopal Prasad, also of 1999 batch, and posted as IG, Bihar Military Police, is scheduled to retire in December next year.

A DIG-rank officer Ajit Kumar Rai (2001 batch) and an SP-rank officer Upendra Kumar (2004 batch) also retired from service on November 30 this year. While Rai was posted as DIG, Saran range, Kumar was holding the post of assistant to IG at the time of their retirement.

Two other SP-rank officers Sudhir Kumar and Kumar Eklay will retire on March 31, 2018, and April 30, 2018, respectively. Eklay is Supaul superintendent of police, while Sudhir is the commandant of the 13th battalion of the Bihar Military Police at Begusarai.

"Among the 187 serving IPS officers, 36 are on central deputation. There are 55 vacancies of IPS officers in the state against the sanctioned strength of 242," the officer said, adding that only three newly recruited IPS officers have been allotted the Bihar cadre who were undergoing training at the Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad.

Though the Bihar government had sent a proposal to the Union home ministry early this year requesting it to create 15 new posts of IPS officers, the Centre, after the review of cadre strength, allocated only 11 new posts, taking the total strength to 242. Prior to the cadre review, the total strength of the IPS officers in Bihar was 231.

Sources in the police headquarters said a proposal was under consideration to post IG-rank officers in the nine divisional headquarters. At present four-IG rank officers were posted in Patna, Tirhut, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur police zones. The government recently promoted three IGs to ADG rank, one DIG to IG rank, six SPs to DIG rank and 12 SPs to junior administrative grade, respectively.

Additional director-general of police (headquarters) S.K. Singhal said on Friday that the issue related to the posting of IGs at the divisional headquarters was discussed at a high-level meeting held in September. "It is still at a very early stage," he told The Telegraph.

The post of IG (prohibition) was created last month to enforce prohibition in the state more effectively. The post is yet to be filled. There are 35 posts of IG in Bihar and 10 are on central deputation.